IV. Can Christians listen to Contemporary Christian music or gospel music that is accompanied by mechanical musical instruments? If not, why can we listen to honkey-tonk music but not something that helps us get our thoughts where they should be?
A. As we begin the answer to this question, we must first note that this question has so many facets to it that no matter what I say, somebody will have a, But what if
question when we are done. I do not have every answer for every question or every song. In a very real sense, I have to leave some of the answers for various songs and groups up to the individual conscience of each listener. If you cannot listen with the faith that what you are doing is alright, then do not. Again, we remember
Romans 14:23, whatever is not from faith is sin.
B. Additionally, we must note that while this question categorizes music into clear cut genres, it simply does not work that way in reality. In modern music there are groups which call themselves Christian whose songs are so veiled most people would never know what they are singing about. Further, there are some groups that refuse to be classified as Christian and yet wear spirituality on their sleeve for all to see. So we cannot answer this question simply by how the music is classified.
C. Further, we must recognize that the question asks one thing, when, in fact, the important issue is another. This question asks about listening, as though the act of hearing what might be classified as a religious song would be wrong. The Bible never addresses listening to music. Rather it addresses worshipping God with music. Regrettably, today, too many Christians have so focused on the assemblies they have missed that the Bible rarely differentiates between the assembly or individual when talking about music in worship and it is always singing.
Acts 16:25; I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16: Hebrews 2:12 and James 5:13 all mention singing, whether in the assembly or out of it. There is simply no authority to worship God with instruments of music either accompanying or in place of our singing whether in the assembly, in our homes, in our cars or at the concert hall.
D. I believe I can clearly say from scripture that to worship along with Contemporary Christian or Southern Gospel bands and groups is as sinful in your car as it would be in this building. If in some way you can listen without worshipping God, then I cannot say anything to you about it. Having been brought up in the Baptist church, in which this kind of music was staple for our youth groups, I was trained that even listening to this kind of music is worshipping God. So I have a hard time being able to understand how anyone can claim they are listening to and singing along with these songs and claim they are not worshipping. If, however, you believe you are listening without worshipping, allow me to give you some things to think about. First, if you claim that you are not worshipping you are simply using the music to help you get your thoughts focused on God, please explain to me what you think worship is. As far as I can tell, having our thoughts focused on God and using something to draw us to God is worship. Secondly, if you are listening and singing along with these songs, if you are singing the name of God and speaking of spiritual matters with nothing more than a flippant notice of what you are singing, are you not treating holy things in a vain manner? Finally, having been raised around this kind of music and having been exposed to it in numerous ways because of my involvement in radio work, I have found that very few of the songs could actually put your thoughts where they are supposed to be because they are so full of error and false teaching on salvation, baptism, Christs kingdom and church, the second-coming, miraculous gifts, etc.
E. Finally, it seems that our questioner presumed that I would say you should steer clear of this modern form of music and also that I would say it is alright to listen to honkey-tonk music. That, of course, opens up a whole different can of worms. Can we listen to and be entertained by music that is not religious in nature. I believe we can. Jesus evidently recognized the uses of music outside of worship when He described how the people dealt with John the Baptist and Jesus by speaking of children in the marketplace saying We played the flute for you and you did not dance; we mourned [or sang a dirge-NASB] to you and you did not weep (
Luke 7:32). Paul recognized the use of music outside of worship when he wrote about speaking with tongues of men and angels but not having love as being just like a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal (
I Corinthians 13:1, see also I Corinthians 14:7-8). He knew that instruments could be and should be used together in harmony. When just used to make noise, they are useless. Further, Paul demonstrated that being involved in entertainments that are not strictly religious are perfectly fine when he demonstrated that he had read non-Christian poets in
Acts 17:28 and that he was well familiar with the games of his day in
I Corinthians 9:24-27. However, does that mean we can listen or be entertained by secular entertainments indiscriminately? Absolutely not. I do not know much about honkey-tonk music, because frankly, I do not know how anybody can listen to that stuff anyway. But many of you probably do not know how anybody could listen to the stuff I like. I am a rocker. I love the driving beats and the heavy guitars. I listen to rock music as far back as Elvis and the Beatles on up to Creed and Evanescence. I love listening to 80s stations that play Def Leppard, Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi and I even like some AC/DC songs. But I tell you what I have learned. There is a whole bunch of it I simply cannot listen to as a Christian. Our questioner asked about songs putting our minds where they should be. I am very concerned about the secular songs that put our minds where they should not be. Not every secular song leads our minds into the depths of sin, but a great number of them do as they glorify drinking, sexual immorality and drug use.
Ephesians 5:11-12 is very clear. We are not to have fellowship with those sinful things. If it is shameful for us to speak about them, then it is shameful for us to listen to them, sing along with them or watch them in the videos. Can you listen to and be entertained by secular music? Certainly. But be careful that you are not fellowshipping with sinful things by what you are singing along with.
And likewise please do not feel like I am attacking you or your church. I am merely trying to emphasize something that I think is important. 
